Vulkan Support Added to 3DMark API Overhead Test

With the development of low-level graphics APIs, we have been promised improved performance by way of computer components being more efficiently used. One example of this is the ability to make many times more draw calls thanks to reduced overhead on a CPU. Some time ago Futuremark added to 3DMark an API Overhead feature test to illustrate the difference between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 specifically by increasing the number of draw calls until the framerate dropped below 30 FPS. Now the company has added the Vulkan API to this test, replacing the Mantle API. Vulkan is like DirectX 12 in that it is a low-level API, but it supports multiple operating systems, while DX12 is limited to Windows 10.

The API Overhead test is only available in the Advanced and Professional Editions of 3DMark, and not the Basic Edition or Steam Demo, so if you want to try it out, you will need one of the paid-for editions. Keep in mind though that this is not a test meant to compare performance between different computers or components. The overhead test is meant only to compare the performance of the different APIs on a single system.